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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 4, 42. Of the Wars of Mummolus Against the Lombards

Eunius, surnamed Mummolus, received the title of patrician from King Guntram. I have deemed it well to go somewhat into detail with regard to the beginning of his career. He was an inhabitant of Auxerre, and son of Peonius, count of the city. Now Peonius, anxious to renew his service, sent gifts to the king by the hands of his son, who presented his father’s offerings, but intrigued for that father’s office on his own behalf, thus supplanting the progenitor whom it was his duty to support. Rising step by step from this beginning, he mounted to the highest office. When the Lombards broke into Gaul,¹ the patrician Amatus, who had recently succeeded Celsus,² marched against them, but after an encounter beat a retreat, in which he lost his life. The Lombards are said to have made such slaughter of the Burgundians on this occasion, that there was no counting the number of the slain; laden with booty, they withdrew once more to Italy. After their departure, Eunius, or Mummolus, was summoned by the king, and received the high dignity of the patriciate. On a second Lombard incursion into Gaul, they penetrated as far as the plain of Plan de Fazi near the city of Embrun; Mummolus marched out of camp and advanced with the Burgundians to that place. He surrounded the Lombards with his force, and threw up abattis; he then fell upon them amidst the trackless woods, killing many, and taking sundry prisoners whom he sent to the king. Guntram distributed them between various places and ordered them to be kept under guard; only a few escaped to announce the disaster in their own country. In this battle took part Salonius and Sagittarius, brothers, and both bishops, who armed themselves not with the heavenly cross, but with the helm and mail shirt of the world, and are said to have slain many of the foe with their own hands, an even worse offence. This was the first victory of Mummolus in a pitched battle. After this the Saxons, who had entered Italy with the Lombards, once more burst into Gaul³ and encamped at the domain of Stablo situated in the territory of Riez. Thence they scattered through the estates of the neighbouring cities, seizing plunder, carrying off captives, and ravaging everything in their path. As soon as this was reported to Mummolus, he marched with an army and fell upon them, slaying many thousands, and not staying his hand from the slaughter until evening fell and night made an end. For he took by surprise men unprepared, and without a thought of that which befell. In the morning the Saxons set their army in array and prepared for battle; but envoys were sent by both sides and peace was arranged. The Saxons made gifts to Mummolus and departed, abandoning all the plunder and the prisoners which they had taken in the district, and swearing to return to Gaul to lend the Franks the support of their arms, and admit themselves subject to their kings. They therefore retraced their steps into Italy, assembled their wives and children, and gathered together all their movable possessions with intent to return to Gaul, where they should be received by King Sigibert and established in the region from which they had originally gone forth. They divided themselves, as it is reported, into two bodies, one proceeding by the town of Nice, the other by Embrun, keeping to the way followed in the previous year, and both effecting a junction in the territory of Avignon. It was the time of harvest, and the people of this place had most of their corn still in the open fields, nor had they brought any of it in under cover. The Saxons coming up divided the crops amongst themselves; they collected and ground the grain, and ate it without leaving any for those whose toil produced it. But when, after consuming the whole crop, they came to the banks of the Rhône with the object of crossing the stream and entering the kingdom of Sigibert, they were confronted by Mummolus, who said: ‘Ye shall not pass this stream. For behold, ye have laid waste the territory of my lord; ye have gathered in the crops, destroyed the herds, given the houses to the flames, and cut down the olives and the vines; ye shall not come up into this country save first ye give satisfaction to those whom ye have left in poverty. If ye will not so do, ye shall not escape my hands, for ye shall feel the weight of my sword, ye and your wives and your young children, and I will avenge on you the wrong which ye have done to my lord, King Guntram.’ Thereat they were much afraid, and gave many thousand pieces of gold for their immunity; then they were suffered to pass, and came into Auvergne, and it was springtime. They produced, instead of gold, stamped bars of bronze; the people who looked at them nothing doubted that they were proved and tested gold, such a fine colour had been given to the metal by some clever process. Many persons were thus tricked; they gave their wealth and received bronze, coming thus to poverty. But the Saxons went on to King Sigibert and were established in the place from which they had originally set forth.

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